1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to devices for establishing and grooming cross country ski trails in snow. More particularly, the invention is directed to a new and improved tracking element or shoe forming an essential component of ski track grooming devices to minimize compaction of snow in the area of the center ridge formed between parallel spaced apart ski tracks.
2. The Prior Art
Baechler U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,116 discloses a ski trail grooming device including a sled adapted to be towed by a vehicle and having a pair of parallel spaced apart tracking elements on the underside of the sled and oriented in the direction of the track. Each of these track elements is elongated and trapezoidal in cross-section and is wedge shaped at its front end. The track elements of each pair are of identical symmetrical structure and interchangeable, the pointed tip of each front wedge lying on the longitudinal center line of the element.
Scheibel U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,398 and Haug U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,303 both relate to trail grooming equipment and have track elements similar to those of Baechler. All of the devices of the prior art having symmetrical track elements have a common disadvantage in that in deep snow an excess amount of snow is directed into the area between the parallel ski tracks. The underside of the sled carrying the tracking elements, because of the weight exerted by the sled, causes the center ridge to be compacted, hard and icy. The present invention is directed to alleviation of this disadvantage of the prior art devices.